Dept of Botany a big draw for PG students

While Class XII students are busy with undergraduate admissions to Delhi University's various colleges, away from the hullabaloo, postgraduate students are turning to the University's Department of Botany, which boasts of ground-breaking research in plant sciences.

Established in 1947 with around 50 seats, the Department now accommodates of over 200 students annually. In recent years, the Department has made a name for itself with research in DNA bar coding of plants, thermophilic enzymes and exceptional work in biological control of plant diseases.

Research scholars seeking admission here are usually well-versed in the field, having spent most of their time studying plants.

The online application process for admission to DU's M Phil, Ph D and postgraduate programmes start from June 7.

Professor Ved Pal Singh, Head of the Botany Department, told Millennium Post he wishes to see many research scholars join the field, which he says will become a very important field in the future.

"Presently, out students are working on the salinity tolerance of plants. If we can manage to make plants survive in saline conditions, a lot of plants can be saved. Students who pass out can not only involve themselves in such work but also get admitted in top positions in the pharmaceutical industry," said Singh For now, Singh is focused on working on the biological control of plant diseases to curb use of fungicides because of its carcinogenic properties. "Our research scholars are trying to identify bacteria which can be used to fight diseases in certain plants," he said.

Taking stock of the use of enzymes for industrial purposes, the Department has also been working on thermophilic enzymes like Amylases and Cellulases, for use in the textiles industry.

However, the most significant research undertaken by the Department involves DNA bar coding of plants, pioneered by Canadian biologists. The Department is using DNA analysis to make unique DNA markers of every plant in the world to curb illegal poaching.

Professor S B Babbar, an expert in DNA bar coding, says, "If we have a unique identity of every plant and animal species, we can clamp down on poachers who carry animal parts in various forms."

Botanists are not just fighting against poachers, but bio-terrorists as well.

"As botanists, we must know the native flora and fauna and be alert when an exotic flora species enters the native land. The foreign agent can be used as a biochemical weapon causing fatalities. DNA bar coding studies will go a long way in fighting bio terror," Babbar said.